Nail Biting

Originally Posted by BluePete

One thing that always stops me biting mine is the thought of what is under them. Just look around when you go out and about, touching the door handles, toilet seats, and other things that all those chavvy, unclean people have been mauling.
They don't wash after using the loo, or picking their noses or scratching their fat, sweaty arses and have left bits of themselves all over the thing you have just touched.

So that's my tip. Become paranoid about hygiene like me!

Don't have to worry so much about getting stuff under the nails if they don't exist! But that doesn't make me wash my hands any less, I hasten to add!

Originally Posted by Richie

you bloody Yorkshireman...

Now now, we'll be having no blasphemy in this thread if you don't mind

Jo used to bite her nails when I first met her. Makes my skin crawl when I see people doing it. (sorry for those that do). To think what is collected under those nails then into the mouth. No kisses for you then. And that was that. A habit of a lifetime broken.

She gave up biting her nails and I stopped having three sugars in my hot drinks. Seemed a fair enough swap to me. I went from three sugars to none at all.

Originally Posted by BigApe

Jo used to bite her nails when I first met her. Makes my skin crawl when I see people doing it. (sorry for those that do). To think what is collected under those nails then into the mouth. No kisses for you then. And that was that. A habit of a lifetime broken.

She gave up biting her nails and I stopped having three sugars in my hot drinks. Seemed a fair enough swap to me. I went from three sugars to none at all.

That's a good enough reason I'm sure! And well done on the no sugar thing, I'm down to half a teaspoon

I used to bite mine ... but just stopped all of a sudden (and I have no idea why).
Now my eldest son does it and I keep having to tell him off for it (I sound just like my parents )

I also had a mate who tried that horrible tasting stuff ... but he actually grew to LIKE the stuff so much that he used to sit there sucking his fingers whilst chewing on his nails!! D'oh!!

Originally Posted by Pedro68

I used to bite mine ... but just stopped all of a sudden (and I have no idea why).
Now my eldest son does it and I keep having to tell him off for it (I sound just like my parents )

I also had a mate who tried that horrible tasting stuff ... but he actually grew to LIKE the stuff so much that he used to sit there sucking his fingers whilst chewing on his nails!! D'oh!!

My folks are always telling me off, doesn't work as well as getting prodded and cuffed round the back of the head by a pal when she catches me doing it

And I can't imagine liking that stuff, it really is foul

It's not even a matter of willpower for me, I genuinely don't know I'm doing it and often cannot recall biting them for weeks. I'm only aware of it if I have a nail stuck in my teeth etc. I've often wondered if I do it in my sleep.

Originally Posted by missyorkie_chris

Does anyone else have this irritating habit? I know it's a really bad one and unfortunately I have it something chronic, it's getting to me now

I managed to get up to 9 grown nails before Christmas - a first I might add - then exams came and pure boredom, so now I have none

I've tried that nasty tasting stuff that can be put on them but it just makes everything else taste foul...I've tried to use nail polish (on what's left of them anyway ) but I end up nibbling that off as well . Someone suggested black nail polish (I only use clear) but I can't stand coloured polish.

It annoys a mate of mine so much she prods/forces my hand away when she catches me doing it which worked for a bit, but I think I'm becoming immune to that now...

Once I can see the nails starting to grow I tend to leave them alone but it's just getting to that stage that's difficult! I usually have quite a lot of will-power but I seem to have none where my nails are concerned. You'd think once I'd bitten them so far down it hurts that I'd stop there, but not always the case

Can anybody suggest any alternative methods to stop me nibbling?

I tend to go through phases of biting my nails and then growing them.

The thought of what's under my nails, where my fingers have been (in my job that is ) and a big dose of will power usually stops me from biting them.

I don't think those nasty tasting potions work. You just get used to the taste.

Mind over matter, and like you say, once you see them growing you tend to leave them alone.

Originally Posted by Lissa

I used to bite my nails really badly, up until about a couple of years ago. Then I just stopped. I don't know why, I just did.

+1

When I was a kid my parents tried everything to get me to stop, offers of N64 games if I stopped, manky stuff on my fingers (which I ignored and just got used to), everything really.

Then I just stopped one day in my mid-teens. Not that it helps you of course but it just kinda happened.

I've just finished dissecting a garden snail - and no not for fun - damn good deterrent though, haven't touched my nails for a good four hours!!!

Ok so THREE MONTHS after posting this thread I have finally got some nails showing signs of growth (8/10 to be precise) It's a start!!! Right smack bang in the middle of the exam period too, who'd have thought it?

Combination of that foul tasting stuff and doing lots of writing in the last week seems to have worked woooooooo!